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Urban plum cake

I started to knit this project in March, and I finished about 2 months later. (Yes, finished in May but I was lazy to write about it. :P)

The yarn is a Hungarian dyeable merino wool (Barka Pikor), which I've bought from Nina, who has painted it. The name of the yarn was plum cake - I think the color really fits the name! :) I'm always afraid of using gradient yarns, because some times I loved the colors in skein but if I made a test knitting, I didn't like it on bigger surface. But now I'm totally satisfied with the result.

(click for the bigger picture!)

Designer: Veera Välimäki

Pattern: Urban (I've bought the pattern on Ravelry.)

Yarn: Barka Piktor from Nina, ~560 m
Needle: 3.5 mm
More info and pictures about the project on my Ravelry site.

The skein was originally 100 gr / 660 m and I believed it's not enough to this sweater. Finally I've used just about 85 gr, so I was really surprised. The pattern was very easy (but a little boring to knit with 3.5 needle), so I loved to knit while I watched TV.

My Friday Night Outfit

Pants: CIPORKIN

Pin: BarbaraSzepesiSzucs

Bag: xinyuxinying
Scarf: craftsbybeck

Now the weather is very cool in Berlin, so if I would go to a party I should wear warmer shoes and coat. :/ But today I'm staying home, drink gin tonic, and - it's not too interesting - I'm shooting my jewelry to the Etsy shop.
However, tomorrow we are going to go to the best Berliner party place, the Berghain. I hope we can go in. :P

You can find more Friday night outfits on Star of the East blog!

My Friday Night Outfit

Dress: mimetik
Earrings: daimblond
Clutch: DDSLLGirlsStore
Phone case: ZeroCase

You can find more friday night outfits on Star of the East blog!

Back to Berlin

I'm in Berlin again... After Christmas, I stayed home in Hungary, because I wanted to take English language exam, and take an entry exam at Design Academy Eindhoven.

The entry exam was an exciting experience: I travelled to Eindhoven on 17th April, I spent a day in the city, and I took the exam on the next day, after I travelled back to Hungary. So it was a very short and intensive trip. :) We got a home assignment ("how can you give time?"), and I had to do a presentation about my homework and five other works from the last 3 years. I was really nervous, but the students and the teachers were kind and helpful, and the presentation was really good.
And a few days later I got the result: I got admitted. :)
It was my 8th entry exam... 4 times in Hungary, MOME (jewellery designer) and 1x Sopron (product design), 1x Berlin, 1x Amsterdam, and the last was Eindhoven, and I've decided, it will be the last attempt.

So, my life will be change soon... Now I'm in Berlin til end of August, after we are going to have a short holiday in Korfu, in early August I'm going to move back to Hungary, finally I move to Eindhoven on 26th August (there is an introcamp on this day).

I've about 1 moth to say goodbye to Berlin... and I'm going to start a new life in the Netherlands soon. I'm very excited!

Moo minicards

A few days ago I've got a pack from UK. My Moo MiniCards has been arrived! :) I was really happy, because I didn't want to pay for the priority mail, and the estimated delivery date was 27th June - and I'm going to move back to Berlin on 25th.

The cards have been arrived in a pretty paper box.

Pretty packaging, recycled paper (the box is recycled pulp).

...and what is in the box? :)

There are some cards from the collection. I've ordered 100 pieces with 60 different graphic. High quality, nice cards, I'm totally satisfied with them. :)

Summer party

Summer party by theia-design featuring a cross-body

My Friday Night Outfit

"My Friday Night Outfit" is a new series instead of "Monday Moodboard".
Well, I've chosen a beautiful mint and grey set to the evening party - of course, with champagne and some pistachio macarons. ;)

Mint skirt: Fanfaronada
iPhone case: Decouart
Necklace: Wulfgirl
Clutch: HelloVioleta

More friday outfits in Estella's blog!

A new project

When I started selling regularly in the Mauerpark, I've realized, I have a lot of jewelry displays at home. But of course, none of them fitted to the desk which I've been using on the sunday market. In each market you have different sized desks... So firstly, I've started to design a variable display set to the markets. But it's another story about which I will write later. ;)

I think, the jewelry organizing is an eternal problem in the life of the women who love to wear jewelry. I've collected some practical solutions on my Pinterest site. But I wasn't totally satisfied with these ideas. So, I had to design my own version. :)
Because I've worked with wood for a little more than 1 year, it was obvious to use wood for my jewelry display project. I love to work with wood, because it's eco friendly material, and I think it's a very important point  of view nowadays.

Actually the first versions were finished in last December (I had some problems with the photo shooting.)
So... Let me introduce my first, eco friendly jewelry stand:

I love the cloud motif (maybe you remember, I've used in the last year a cloud in my logo too), and I think, the result is a kind, but minimalist and modern earrings stand.

You can find some information and pictures on the Etsy page!

And I'll show you the rests soon! :)

Abalone cardigan - the first knitted cloth

A few months ago I bought a beautiful, hand dyed yarn from Bucilla. If you want to get a Buci yarn, you have to be very fast. :) She uploads her new works to her blog, and if you in the right place at the right time, maybe you can get those.

So, I had a hand dyed Buci yarn, 100g, 700m. It's just enough to make my first cardigan. :) I've knitted just wraps, cowls, mittens and hats. Originally I didn't want to make clothes, because I need a lot of ball of yarns,  and I think, to knit for example a jumper is a little boring. :P If I still make clothes, they will have to be really special, which I can't buy in a shop.

The colours make my cardigan special. The yarn was very thin, I knitted with 3.5 needle, so finally I've got light, colorful, really springlike clothes. I would have never used the green color with purple and rose, but fortunately Buci have used. ;) The color of the cardigan recalls the colors of tourmaline gemstone. The tourmaline is one of my favourite stones, and the knitting was refreshing in the grey, cold and boring February.

Ravelry project page
Abalone Cardigan pattern

My favorite knitting project in 2012

When I only knew crocheting, I found a beautiful hat on Ravelry. This is a knitted project, but I bought it immediately. :) Finally 1 year later I could start to make this hat. I loved to knit, because it's very easy and fast! And the two pompons are really funny and cheerful.

Pattern: Toorie
Yarn: Barka Díva (50% Merino, 50% Alpaca)
Needle: 3.0 mm
Ravelry Project: here

Monday moodboard

Fish! 

tenderblue / oneandtwocompany / VillaYlle / krize

You can check more Monday Moodboards at Estella!

Secret Swap Cowl

I'm a member in a Hungarian knitting and crochet Facebook group. I love this group, because I can ask for help, if I don't understand a knitting pattern, and I like to admire the works and photos of other members. Now we are making a game: this is the secret swap cowl, so we must to make asecret cowl for the swap partner like long time ago, in the school at Christmas. :) We have filled a table about the most ideal cowl for us. For example, what colors and pattern you would prefer.
My swap partner would like to get  a not-too-tight cowl, and she wrote about her favourite colors, and she prefers the knitting cowl against the crochet. I have searched the ideal yarn, when I've found a pretty and very soft yarn: the Lana Grossa Merino Mix. I love its color (but I mustn't write more information, if my partner reads my blog... :)!

I've collected some beautiful patterns on Ravelry, and I tried to figure out for 3 days, which one to choose. ;) Finally I've started to make a pattern, but I wasn't satisfied. I've started again. Three more times. :P And when I've understood the pattern, I've choosen a new pattern. :P

Pattern: Origami Falls Cowl

My Ravelry project is here

(the color of cowl is in the reality, of course, not purple ;)

I had to start with picot hem technique. I start with provisional cast on, and I knit 7 rows (in round). The 8. row is *yo, k2tog* till end. Thereafter I knit again 7 rows. I extract the first chain row, and I pick the knitted stitsches to the needle. I fold back the knitting, and I knit a row till end with k2tog: 1 stitch from the first needle, 1 from the new needle. Finally, you have same stitches, and you must start to knit the pattern. The picot hem border is thicker and prettier as a normal, just stockinette border. And the 8. row, the *yo, k2tog* row now looks like as picot hem.

I think the cowl is really practical accessory, and this pattern is very pretty: a little laced, and a little geometric. I will knit this for myself too. :)

Choose the right necklace length!

I made a picture about the length of the necklaces. On the Etsy there is a new function: you can choose the items length, color, size, etc. I've made this picture in order to help you to choose the right necklace length.

Monday Moodboard

Last time I wrote about the knitting fashion, and I showed my unfinished cowl. Now I've collected some modern and exciting cowls from the european group of Etsy.

dekkoline / Fnine / Berniolie / TheYarnKitchen

You can check more Monday Moodboards at Estella!

Cowl designing

I read a (Hungarian) blogpost about the 2012 knitting trends. The article wrote about this autumns trends to wear cowl, mittens and collar. I've learned quickly to knit in round (yet before the article ;), and started to collect some patterns on Ravelry. And I felt I urgently need a cowl! Now I have 2 works in progress, but no problem, I'll quickly make an easy cowl, without a direct pattern. At least that was what I thought. :)

I ordered my things during the weekend, so now my yarns are organized in boxes. I've chosen a purple yarn, whereof I made a shawl last year. I made a test with a 5.0 mm size needle, but I found, my needle is too big for this yarn. I tried again with 4.0 mm needle - it was much more nicer. So I started to make my cowl...

I knitted a short part border, then I tried a "dotted pattern". That was terrible...

Where are my dots...?

In a knitting forum the people said, I use a too thick needle. I pulled down the dotted part, and after the border, I changed the needle to 3,5 mm. But the dotted pattern still didn't look good. Finally I've chosen a lace pattern, and I've bought a 'high quality' needle for the magic loop technique.

Now I'm halfway through, and I think, I've divided back about fifty times. :P
If i ever have it completed, I'll post the knitting pattern! ;)

Pantone colors, 2012 fall

Every year Pantone makes a forecast about the most determinative colors of the next season.
What do you think about the current colors? :)

French Roast: this is a typical autumn tone, ideal alternative of black and grey.
Honey Gold: this warm  tone of yellow is quoted in the autumn sunshine. Use with Olympian Blue!
Pink Flambé: this color reminds me of the Pantone color of 2011 year. That was the honeysuckle. With Tangerine Tango it gives a very retro feeling. :)
Tangerine Tango: this is the Pantone color of 2012. Energetic, powerful and cheerful. I love it!
Ultramarine Green: about this color from the Pantone page: "“love magic” - witches and warlocks, misty landscapes, love potions and dreamy skies set the mood for colors this season" Great idea!
Bright Chartreuse: this yellow-green tone reminds me of the spring. Use with Pink Flambé - really fresh and powerful combination!
Olympian blue: intensive tone, use with neutral colors, for example Ginseng and Hasel.
Titanium: very elegant and many-sided color
Rhapsody: I really love this tone with Titanium. Elegant and womanly pairing.
Rose Smoke: it's like as my favourite nail polish. ;) Soft pastel and nude tone. Have you tried with Titanium? - yeah, I think, Titanium is a very multifunctional tone. :)

Which colors would you wear from these? :)

Monday Moodboard

CuteOldThings / TheRetroBottega / mablum / mademoisellebomode

Vintage. :) I'm back in Berlin, yesterday I was already at the flea market. ;)

You can check more Monday Moodboards at Estella!

Festival of Folk Arts, Budapest

On the last weekend of August it's the 26th Festival of Folk Arts in Budapest, in the Castle of Buda. During the 4 days, you can find about 800 traditional craftsmen, concerts, workshops, and you have the chance to get to know the handcraft gastronomy. In this year the theme was the "Art of the everyday life", and the old and rare crafts.

I love the feeling of the festival - the people in folk costumes, the live folk music, the scent of the  food being baked... You can try some different technics, for example wool felting, handmade paper- and candle making, basketry, bookbinding... I admire the old women making lace - you can't see this in other places in the everyday life.

The girl, who has made yarn with spinning wheel from painted wool, she was just 9 years old!

And I could try new technics at the festival: I have learned yarn spinning with drop spindle. A few weeks ago I've seen a woman to sit in a Café terrace (in Berlin) with a portion of wool and a spindle, and she has made beautiful yarn with her hands. I was very surprised, because I thought, it's only possible to make yarn with spinning wheel. 

The painted wool, and the spindle in the basket.

At the festival, I have met a kind and very professional woman, who has helped me to take the first steps with the drop spindle. The handspinning is a very old and easy technique, but you need a lot of practice, if you want to make useful yarn. ;) I bought a beautiful, purple-grey handpainted wool, and now I'm starting the exercise. :) I think, I've found a new, amazing hobby!
I will surely write about my new entertainment in the blog. ;)

Monday Moodboard

vadjutka / meilingerzita / boldcolorglass / noritart

I'm now in Hungary, that's why I collected some beautiful things from Hungarian artists. I don't wear in everyday life too much red, but I love these minimalist things. :)

You can check more Monday Moodboards at Estella!